Heading out once again

Hi friends - Tomorrow I leave for my 6th trip to Ukraine. Our team will be returning to camp to work with the same kids/teens we've been with since 2009. Keep up with our team at midtowninukraine.blogspot.com . Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Much Love!

Another trip to Ukraine

I leave this afternoon for my 5th trip to Ukraine. This time around, I'm going by myself. No team, no program. Just a visit to some dear friends. I'll be there for around 10 days, only 2 of which I will spend in Kharkov with the kids from camp. Although I was initially really disappointed to only have 2 days with them, I'm thankful for the opportunities to meet with some great people in Kiev about future plans there. I hope to gain clarity and further direction on whether I am indeed supposed to move there at some point or what job/ministry I could be involved in as well.

I am excited to have the chance to spend time with and be hosted by several different friends. I'll be spending New Years with Lesya and Josh, then going to Kharkov for two days. Coming back to Kiev and then going to spend Orthodox Christmas with Julia S. and her family...and then finishing up my last couple days in Kiev at Andrey, Alla, and Josh's place before coming home. It is a very full week and I'm excited to experience it.

My prayer is all about expectations. This trip didn't turn out to be what I initially thought it would when I first made plans to come. I'm sad that no more American friends were able to make it this time and that we're not spending the whole week in Kharkov with the kids. But as the Lord really showed me last winter on a lonely overnight train, He's taking care of me in ways I could never predict and often don't understand. So please pray that I would actively lay down my expectations about how things "should" go and live in a spirit of thanks while I'm there. Thankful for each moment the Lord gives me with the kids and with friends.

Also, please pray for safe travels. I'll be flying ATL-Paris on the way there and JFK-Paris coming back. So I'm hoping for no snow storms! We'll also be taking an overnight train from Kiev to Kharkov and then back again so prayer for safety and sleep during that time will be great.

I will have access to e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter while I'm there which is different than my usual cut-off-from-civilization time at camp in Ukraine. So feel free to keep in touch! I hope to post pictures and updates throughout the trip.

E-mail: heatherharris15@gmail.com

Twitter: @hhthewhiz

Thank you for all the prayers and support!

Update on HH

We've been home about 10 weeks now. The entire trip this year was such a different experience. The months leading up to the trip through the transition period at home were filled with unexpected challenges that made my experience more challenging than any previous year. I've spent many hours in the past 10 weeks thinking and reflecting on our time in Ukraine and what my future there will look like. A lot about the trip held a sense of finality for me. So many of the kids I'm close to have graduated and moved on to adult life so camp will be very different in the future.

So what's next? Over the past two years, my life has changed dramatically because of my experiences in Ukraine. I keep going back, and the ache to stay for a longer period of time just gets stronger and stronger. I've entertained the crazy idea of moving to Ukraine in the past but have never seriously looked at my options. For whatever reason, this time is different. I have decided to begin exploring what it would take to move to Ukraine after I finish Grad school. There have been many conversations surrounding this topic, whether between me and my closest friends or me and God. And at this moment, I think I will move there. The next year I hope will be a time for truth to be revealed to me through solitude and silence...two things I'm praying for more of in the coming year.

I am thankful for all my friends, family, and supporters who have given me the opportunity to visit Ukraine four times. I am so grateful to have gotten to be a part of the amazing things I've been able to witness and experience. I look forward to seeing where my story heads after graduation, whether in Nashville or in Ukraine. Please keep me in your prayers that God would give me wisdom in decision making and eyes to see His desires for my life wherever that may take me.

We leave today!!

I will be brief...there's a lot going on in my head now. We leave today for our trip to Kharkov. It is simply amazing that God has blessed us with the opportunity to go back again and again. I'm so thankful that in a few days we will have made our way around the world to a camp in the middle of nowhere and will have the opportunity to be washed in God's Love for us through these kids. I am grateful for that.

Thank you for the support. The prayers. The money. I cannot do this on my own. I'm thankful that God has surrounded me with people that support and love me in going on these trips. I am grateful for that.

I love you all. You can keep up with the team several ways. We'll be updating when we can get internet access:

Midtown blog: http://midtowninukraine.blogspot.com

Radooga blog: http://www.radooga.com/blog/

Twitter: @midtownukraine

Raising Funds...

This is a link to our team's March Madness fundraiser:

http://campaigns.ratepoint.com/campaigns/71e8eb326c63fb4bdbf4a268efb72981

Password: radooga

Fill out a bracket and make a $10 donation...help us get back to the kiddos in Ukraine! :)

You're Beautiful

A God that is chasing after me is chasing after you and after the kids in Ukraine. He Loves us Extravagantly.

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful, you're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see Your face, You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful
I see Your face, You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful
I see Your face, I see Your face
I see Your face, You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

Uncertain

Asking for money is a humbling experience. As someone who used to pride myself on "having it all together," the simple act of opening my hands and allowing others to give to me has been difficult. I downright almost refused to do it for my first trip in 2009 and have been more open to it since then. For my trip in January 2011, I was fully funded by the generous support of friends, family, and Midtowners.

This summer, I'm going back to Ukraine for two weeks. I am returning to the same camp with the same group of teenagers I've visited my last three trips. This year, I am co-leading the trip along with Russell Anderson. So once again, I ask humbly for support. I am resting in the fact that the Lord will provide what I need for this trip. As scary as that is, I want to believe it.

I will be honest, I had a bad feeling as I was putting support letters together this year. I wasn't happy with my letter. I was unsure. As I addressed envelopes, I had the sinking feeling that when these letters were pulled from people's mailboxes, the thought, "THIS AGAIN??" would arise. Thankfully, friends have encouraged and reminded me that they do care about the work going on in Ukraine. That they do appreciate hearing my story. I am just unsure about fundraising this time around and I'm not sure why.

So, please pray about donating towards my trip. I am thankful for each and every supporter I've had in the past and cannot imagine not being able to see these kids. And my supporters are what makes that possible. I truly appreciate it. You can do so by clicking on the "Donate" button or by mailing a check made out to "Missions Development International" and sending to me at: 5101 Regent Drive Nashville, TN 37220

Trying to rest in this tonight...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." - 2 Tim. 1:7

It's days like today that life just floats by. I'm currently in the process of enjoying a Saturday with *nothing* to do. Catching up on life and just enjoying moments of rest without rush.

The extra bonus of today has been all the Ukrainian interaction... :)

Message from Slavik this morning...(1st since September)

Skyping with Lesya followed by Skyping with Yulia and Sasha(!!!!)

and now I'm writing back and forth with Artur about movie preferences (he says: "I noticed that the majority of American movies stupid"...I'm trying to prove him wrong)

It is these days that they seem so close. So reachable...the picture above is when Yulia and Sasha were eating chips and Yulia asked, "do you want one?" It almost seems as if I could reach through the Skype portal and enjoy one...

I'm so thankful for these interactions. So thankful to be someone in their life. Even if I have no idea what I'm doing... ministry to teenagers. Who knew? I am simply blessed by these friends of mine in Ukraine. It's beautiful.

I sent out a wave of support letters this week. Prayer for support raising is *always* appreciated. I'm excited to what God has for me regarding fundraising and how He will bring it together. =)

Hope all reading are having a simply amazing weekend!

HH

Where do I begin...

So sorry it's been so long. I simply can't believe tomorrow will be a month since I left for Ukraine. So crazy.

The trip was amazing. Incredible. Painful. Hopeful. Crazy events I was astounded by and a Peace that surpassed any of my understanding. I could never put into words how much this trip meant to me, and as I mentioned in my last post, I often feel like I use too many words, so I will attempt to practice brevity....

- First of all, I lost my passport. A very foolish move on my part, but I have wondered now if maybe God picked it up and threw it out of my bag Himself. The events that followed the discovery of the lost passport included an overnight train ride complete with a new friend, (a Nigerian Christian), an insane two hours with Oleg Vasilevsky fighting with his iPad to print my flight itinerary (we lost), a surprising moment at the Embassy when the man behind the counter asked, "Is your name Heather Harris?", a rendezvous with yet another new friend (Viktor), and a journey to Viktor's apartment so he could return this US passport he found in the snow while walking down the street. I was back on a train to Kharkov in 4 hours and safely returned to the beautiful village that my kids call home. The overwhelming peace the Lord covered me with was an amazing picture of His Love for me. His gentle reminder that everything would be just fine and that even though I was alone on that journey, He would protect me and go out of His way to put people in my path as a reminder.

- Second of all, I missed our flight home. When Russell gave me a Ukrainian cell phone, said, "I have to go", and took off running towards customs, I only experienced a split-second of panic. Again, all alone in a foreign country the Lord washed me with His peace. A dying cell phone stayed live just long enough for crazy taxi driver Maxim to round the corner. A hot lunch and open arms at the Vasilevsky's was the community I needed. An afternoon and evening of sushi and Johnny Depp in Ukrainian with the Afonins was a perfect end to my trip. Drifting to sleep that night, I forgot I wasn't home.

- Now about those kids..........

Tears fill my eyes as I allow memories to flood into my mind. There would be no way to describe the joy in their eyes. The laughs...so!many!laughs! The extreme pain always present.

We spent two days at Nova Vodolaga orphanage and spent that time playing games, decorating cookies, singing songs, doing skits, and having serious discussion. There are so many specific stories tied to all these things that I would love to share, but really can't put into words. So let's have coffee sometime. Seriously.

Instead here, I want to share something that's been rolling around in my head and was reminded of this morning at Midtown. I am beginning to realize I have a very small idea of how God works. His work is so much larger than I could ever imagine and I so often shrink that. I have ideas of why we're working with these orphans. I have expectations of the things that should happen during these trips. But what if I really have no clue as to what's really going on? What if there is such a larger, grander, greater story being told that is so much bigger than me, bigger than Ukraine, bigger than these kids? When telling my passport story, I've been reminded that maybe that whole crazy adventure wasn't for me at all. What if I was just being used? What if the train ride wasn't about me being comforted by having a fellow Christian in the train car but instead that the train ride was about the large Ukrainian man in the car with us hearing that Christian's prayers and praise? What if my passport falling out of my bag into the snow wasn't a random act, but instead an opportunity for Viktor (a man divorced, down on his luck, missing his child), to do the right thing and feel good about himself? And oh boy, how about we apply this to the kids? What if....all sorts of things!

After the summer trip, I reminded myself of the following statement over and over again: If all of this...all the trips, all the fundraising, all the time off, all the travel, all the everything is just so one kid changes a tiny bit, it's worth it. It has to be. I realized I can't change the world. I can't convert 300 orphans in 1 year. God can. I can't. So I have to stop making plans, stop writing stories, stop predicting my own future and just let Him do it. His adventure for me is so much more exciting than I could make it. I never would have thought to ask the Lord two years ago to let me sightsee with Igor and Sasha, to visit their orphanage, to let me ride a train in Ukraine by myself, to lose my passport, to celebrate Slavik's birthday with him, to even go to Ukraine in JANUARY. The Lord has blessed me beyond anything I ever could have expected. I am excited and hopeful to see how the next chapter unfolds.

Blessing

I sometimes use too many words. Too many words to talk about something or sometime. So all I will say about yesterday is that it was amazing.

I spent time in Kiev with friends. Two of which were kids from camp. Kids I love. It was a dream come true. One of the most special days of my life. I cannot believe the blessings the Lord has poured out on me. The special moments he gives me with these kids. I think about meeting these kids the first day of camp in 2009. And now sitting across from them at McDonald's laughing and taking pictures. I am astounded by His Faithfulness and Love for me. I am extravagantly loved by the Creator.

The only thing that could possibly make yesterday even better: There's more to come...

Love you all. Forever grateful for the prayers and support. The Lord is moving here. In big ways.

HH

Travel and New Years in Kiev

I'm in Kiev! Currently staying with my good friend Lesya in her awesome apartment.

My travel was absolutely phenomenal. The best trip I've taken to Kiev by far. :) No layovers, no delays, smooth flights. Nearly empty flights with lots of empty seats...it was a great travel day.

I've spent the day with Lesya and her mom. We ate a delicious traditional New Years dinner (nothing like camp food guys...) :) and then just hung out here for awhile. We then took a stroll around the neighborhood in the snow and went by the grocery store. Such a peaceful, serene night with the occasional fireworks going off. It's such a quiet neighborhood and a stark contrast to the craziness of Kiev's city center that we've been in the past two summers.

Early bedtime tonight and then I get to attend New Life Church in the morning. Definitely excited for this and REALLY excited to see all my Radooga friends...(including the Vasilevsky's and their *special guests*).

Only 3 days until we head to Kharkiv to visit our kids!!

Thank you for the continued support through prayer. I love you all!

HH

один день!!!!!!

Ok, so I leave tomorrow for this incredible trip. I simply cannot believe this is actually happening. It really does seem like we just left camp, so to have the opportunity to see the kids again so soon...it's just amazing.

We found out yesterday that one orphanage we were going to visit is closed for the holidays, so we are actually going to the orphanage that "my" kids live for TWO days instead of ONE! I am sad that we will not visit those kids (who will most likely be staying with extended family over the holiday), but to have another 8 hours with the kids I am closest to is just...wow. I can't find the words.
One of my closest buddies, Slavik, is turning 16 on January 8th. To be there with him around (maybe on) his birthday....wow again. There are so many special details about this trip and I feel abundantly loved and blessed.

My bag is packed. My airplane outfit is set out. :) Camera is ready with extra batteries to attempt to capture the magic of this visit. There are details I'm forgetting...but none that will hinder this journey.

Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers. It means SO.MUCH. I can't wait to return and share pictures and stories of this amazing holiday adventure.

Love you all!
HH

Blessed beyond belief

Interestingly enough, tonight it felt like this was the most stressful holiday season I've ever experienced...this whole Monday-Friday job thing isn't necessarily conducive to Christmas shopping. There are some days I miss having a Tuesday morning off work to get things done. But in the moments of stress and frustration, it hit me pretty hard that I am literally surrounded by blessing. I look at all the things going on in my life and when I really think about them, they really are incredible blessings instead of sources of stress.

Let me first say that the Lord provided ALL the funds for my January trip through kind and generous donations. This is the first trip to Ukraine that I haven't had to pay for a portion. That is simply incredible! I am so thankful that raising money happened quickly and am SO grateful for those of you that supported me. I thank you so very much.

Speaking of Ukraine...(oh yeah, that's what this blog is about), I will be there in a mere 9-ish days!! That has not set in AT ALL. I think with all the craziness of work and the holidays and everything else going on, I haven't had time to really process that a week from tomorrow I'll be boarding a plane and heading to Kiev. I am unable to put into words how grateful I am for a visit to the kids. When I left this summer, I prepared myself for a year of missing them...and to have the opportunity to see them SO soon...well, it's incredible. I CANNOT wait to see them.

I hope to update a bit more frequently over the next week as our team prepares to leave. Please keep us all in your prayers. I will be traveling Dec 31st/Jan 1st so pray for safe travels. The rest of the team comes on the 3rd. Thanks to everyone praying for me and the team!!

Love you all!

HH

Midtown in Ukraine!

Recent blog post I wrote for our team's blog... :)

Russ has given some basic information about Ukraine and the issues facing orphans there. But what about our kids?

The orphaned children we visit live in (or in suburbs of) Kharkiv, Ukraine. Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine with a population of around 1.75 million. It is in extreme Eastern Ukraine so it is much more Russian-influenced than Kiev, the country's capital. The children we visit primarily speak Russian as a first language rather than Ukrainian which is more widely spoken in central and Western Ukraine.

Our kids come from three different orphanages that are located around Kharkiv. They range in age from 8-19. In the summer of 2010, there were around 175 children at camp most of which were boys. Many of the children suffer from physical issues due to institutionalized rearing. Many are extremely small for their age and are shorter in stature. Some have mental or social delays that often go undiagnosed. But these children are also incredibly talented and gifted in many ways. So many of them are amazing artists. There are great singers, dancers, rappers, gymnasts. Many of the boys are incredible soccer players and can beat ANY of the Americans in ping-pong.

But one of the most important things to remember about these children is they each have a life story that is unique to them. Many of the children are at the orphanage because they were removed from their homes by the government due to abuse or neglect. Others are there because their parents were put in jail or died. Some of the children lived on the street for a period of time before coming to the orphanage. There are some children that appear to have been simply "given" to the orphanage by a parent that could not handle raising a child. This further reminds our team how important relationships with the kids become. It is so important to know each one of the kids and their specific story in order for us to build lasting bonds with them. Often, though, the kids are very reluctant to discuss the past and sometimes instead weave inconsistent stories instead of sharing the painful details.

After spending the past two summers with the same group of children, it is apparent to our team that these children simply want to be known. They want to be heard and loved and encouraged. It's often difficult for them to accept this affection, but it is obvious to our team and those that work with them that this is their true desire...as it is for all of us.

Thanks to those who are stepping into the journey of knowing these kids. A member of our team recently told me that our work with these kids is "eternal." Might be a hard concept to understand when there is a picture of an unfamiliar child on your fridge, but praise God He gives us the opportunity to show His Love to these kids. Thank you for your prayers!

-Heather

Old Post

The below is a note I posted on Facebook last February. I don't feel like much I have posted on this blog has been able to truly express how I'm feeling about this trip. I think my thoughts were accurately expressed with this note...at least my thoughts from February. :)


So I don't blog...I don't usually write. But after the recent series of events in my life, I had the desire to write about some things.

All day today, the date seemed familiar. Every time I looked at my phone, every time I wrote it down at work...there was just something about it. February 11th...February 11th...I knew there was meaning to this date, but I couldn't place it. It wasn't until talking to Kristy on the drive home it occured to me: One year ago, we opened that awful store in Thompson's Station. Well...not ALL awful. :)

It got me thinking about a year ago. My priorities a year ago. My vision for my future a year ago. It's funny remembering what I was wrapped up in and what I saw as important. There were a whole lot of appearances there...I mean, I was important, right? I was in the paper, right? Like whoo-hoo, look at me everybody! It's hilarious really...so let's imagine someone had told me a year ago (I know...this scenario is so cliche. But sometimes I feel like we all live in cliches) what my life would look like February 11th, 2010.

- You won't be working for Kroger. (?????????) You will have JUST started a new full-time job. Hey, by the way it's M-F 9-5...on 21st Ave...
- you'll be preparing for a trip to Ukraine this summer...yes, your *second* trip to Ukraine...
-Hey, guess what! You're back in school! Pursuing a Masters in...wait for it...wait for it...EDUCATION!! Like to be a teacher...with children!
- And my personal favorite: You're living in Springfield at HOME!!!! (biggest surprise!!)

So it's safe to say things have changed. My priorities have changed. I'm living a completely different life than I was. I guess what I've been thinking about and *remembering* is how I got here. Hanging out with those kids across the globe changed me. Not only entering into a tiny slice of their lives, but being forced to let go. Let go of my expectations and grip of control on my life. Realize I CANNOT do this on my own. I need the Lord. I need my community. My strength is never enough. So I came home. And knew I couldn't do it anymore.

It's a scary feeling. Realizing the future you've mapped out for yourself isn't really your future at all. It's not even close. Realizing all the "plans" you've made aren't going to happen. You feel initially like a failure. I wasn't one of 'those' people. I had it all figured out. Work my way up the ladder, acquire husband and 2.5 kids along the way...piece o' cake. So how do I reconcile that when nothing is what I thought it was. How is it I'm stuck in a job I hate that makes me into a person I know I am not? Was this the plan?

Thankfully, it was a part of His plan. But *now* is a part of His plan too. And I wake up every morning completely blown away by the blessing in my life. I have no words to express the joy in my life. The contentment and peace He has given me. It's a beautiful thing to let go. To live in the freedom we're meant to live in. What a beautiful thing it is to see God's purpose and plan in your life! And to know even when it doesn't make sense, He's working. Even when it feels like you're not making a difference, He's working.

I found out today I am going to be able to return to Ukraine this summer. It was a miracle to get off at a grocery store on the 4th of July last year...and an equal miracle to get off at a new job at Vandy this year. So I know I'm meant to be there. For whatever reason, I'm meant to travel back to my dear friends at camp and spend time with them. It's easy for me to apply this "purpose" to the big things like Ukraine, but I'm trying to find perspective and understand there's purpose in all that I am and do. There's purpose in living at home, there's purpose in spending 6 years at Kroger, there's purpose in all of it.

I remember this one morning in the Fall of 2004. I was commuting to Lipscomb and was late to class. It was pouring down rain, traffic was awful and I had Statistics at 8am. I trudged into Swang soaking wet, frustrated, and embarrassed to slide into my seat 30 minutes late. At that moment, in my frustration, I made the decision to find a way to afford to live on campus. The months following found me moving onto campus and meeting Jackie, a now dear friend. She introduced me to April, now one of my closest friends. The three of us visited Midtown about a year later. Midtown brought with it change in my life. New ideas, new friends, eventually a trip to Ukraine. Guidance from friends letting me know it's OK to quit your job. :) Wise advice helping me to seek the Lord's will in my life. And that's brought me here. So I think about that morning in 2004. My immaturity in frustration. And I'm sure completely oblivious to seeing any good in the situation. Letting the petty things ruin my day. :) I'm glad that day was ruined and I'm glad it was a piece to the journey I have found myself on. I'm excited that years from now, I know this season of my life will lead to the next chapter of the journey. I'm ready.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

"Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this" Psalm 37:4,5

A Good Day

Today at church Josh Ingram:( http://joshinukraine.blogspot.com/ ) gave me some letters from the kids. He was in Ukraine last week and is thinking about moving there himself. It was incredible to see the hard copies of handwritten letters from Olya and Slavik. Lesya had already translated them and e-mailed me the translation...but to have the actual letters from them is just precious. Something I will treasure.

Getting support letters out this week...

We are having a yard sale to help our team raise funds. It's going to be November 13th at the Hope Center on 12th South. If you want to donate items...shoot me an e-mail! heatherharris15@gmail.com

I will be in Ukraine 10 weeks from today!!!!! :)

...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn8jeB44RMI

Ran across this YouTube video tonight...these videos were shown at program every day as a kind of recap of the day before. Makes me miss the kids so much seeing them in video instead of just pictures...wish there was just more than Day 1 uploaded on YouTube!!

11 weeks until I'm in Ukraine!! Crazy!!

Great Expectations

Many of you have been asking about what specifically we'll be doing in Ukraine on our trip in January. This summer, while we were at camp, many of us felt a desire to see the kids before next summer. We began talking about a winter trip. God has been incredible and the trip is (obviously) actually happening!! We are incredibly excited to not have to wait an entire year to see the kids. The trip is only a week including travel which means we will probably only spend one day at each orphanage. We will be doing a few activities with them, but mostly just hanging out and spending a little time with them. Also, we will be there on Orthodox Christmas...so there will probably be some presents too. :)

I think the most important thing for me (and our team) to remember about the January trip is to go in with NO expectations. We have no idea what the trip will look like, what to expect. It's very possible that seeing the kids in their home could help us understand them better. It's possible the conditions at the orphanages could be bad and it might be very difficult to realize these dear children I love so much live there. So pray for our team that we would not set high (or low) expectations, but be open to whatever the Lord has for us in January.

"Russian for Dummies" arrived in the mail today...I am hoping to work with fellow teammate Val on improving my Russian. May be able to talk to the kids more by January!!

Haven't been able to talk to the kids much this week. I think the boys are out of the hospital...but haven't gotten a firm response from any of them....oh Ukrainian internet... :P

HH

один means one

As I'm sure many other people begin their first blog, I will say "I've never really kept a blog." Because of this...well, I'm not sure what I want this to look like.

I guess the main purpose of this blog is to inform my family and friends of my upcoming trip to Ukraine. I will be leaving 12 weeks from today for my 3rd (seriously??) trip to Kharkiv, Ukraine to visit the kids that have become so incredibly important in my life. As you read this blog, please consider donating to help support the cost of my trip in January. You can do so by clicking the yellow button on the right side of the page. It is MUCH appreciated!! :)

Many of you know I am considering moving to Ukraine for a year or so to....do something. At this point, I'm not sure what my role there could be, where I would live, how I would afford it, etc, etc...so I guess this blog could be my journey of figuring THAT out. Or rather the journey of seeing the Lord reveal it in my life. I admittedly am excited about the possibility of packing up and moving there. About the idea of being SO close to the kids. The idea of a new life in a new place. But the Lord is funny sometimes. And He has me here now. Right here in Nashville, TN.

Our team leader, Russ gave me some of the best advice when we returned home in July. It was over a black bean salad in East Nashville (which I think makes the story exponentially better). I was anxious after being home for a week about getting back to Ukraine. I missed the kids, I missed Ukraine. I was fearful of returning to a mundane life of 9-5. He told me that right now, I just need to focus on January. That the January trip was what I had NOW. There would be time for future planning later. I'm thankful for that advice and I'm thankful the Lord calmed my heart enough to get back into my life here and realize I could love the kids from across the globe. Because that's where He has me now. And in 12 weeks, I believe He'll have me on a plane for 10 hours.

Thankfully, because of the great Internets I am able to communicate "regularly" with some of my kids and can find out what's going on with them. This was not a luxury I enjoyed last year. Please keep Sasha, Bagdan, and Vitya in your prayers. They've been in the hospital since Thursday with bronchitis. Ukrainian hospitals aren't the greatest even for "regular" Ukrainians...so you can imagine the care that 3 orphaned teenagers are getting. So please pray.

Watch the video...look at the pictures I've posted so far. Ask me questions about what we're doing in Kharkiv. I welcome all feedback. :)

спокойной ночи!

HH

I heart iMovie

http://vimeo.com/15721109


A video introducing you to some of my dearest friends in Ukraine. 12 weeks from today we'll head to Ukraine for a short visit to their orphanage. The best Christmas present I could ever have.

p.s. can you believe you can't write <3 in a blog title? Something about HTML...boo